AMISOM issues an order for AU troops not to enter Halane compound

Troops with the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) have been given a directive not to enter Halane – a sprawling heavily secured compound in Mogadishu that is home to aid workers, international diplomats and the African Union peacekeepers, according to a well-placed security official who has asked for anonymity.

The UN-built compound is separated by a security wall that restricts movement between Halane and the rest of Mogadishu. It is considered by many as an extension of Aden Adde International Airport

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It is not yet known why the order was given or when the directive will take effect, with some only speculating that it was a “security issue”.

HOL has reached out to AMISOM for comment but has not yet received a response.

AMISOM announced on Sunday that it has begun plans for the gradual reduction of troops in Somalia.

An AU official said in a statement that the first phase of the transition plan would last four years and Somalia’s ability to hold peaceful, credible and safe one-person-one-vote elections in 2020 will be the measuring stick on how successful the troop drawdown is performing.

AMISOM is comprised of troops drawn from Uganda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya